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Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Yarnstorming Poppies in the Park

What are we doing? In May it's Craft & Design Month 2015 which celebrates crafts across the UK, and with your help, Deborah New & I plan to make a giant
red and white yarnstormed poppy installation for Rowntree Park, York to
commemorate the First World War and to hope for peace.

Why are we doing this?

Rowntree Park was gifted to the City of York in 1921 by Rowntree &
Company as a permanent memorial to the Rowntree Cocoa Works staff who died or
suffered during the First World War and as a public park for the benefit
ofYork people. One hundred years on, we are now in the midst of events commemorating WW1.

One of the memorial plaques in the park says:

“This park and the adjoining playing fields
were given to the city by Rowntree & Co. Ltd at the close of the Great War
(1914-1918) as a tribute to the memory of those members of the company’s staff
who at the cost of life or limb or health and in the face of indescribable
suffering and hardship served their country in her hour of need. Many were
inspired by the faith that this war might be the end of war – that victory
would lead to an enduring peace and to greater happiness for the peoples of the
world. The creation of the League of Nations will be a fitting crown to the
faith and hope of the men who have fought and a true memorial to their
endurance, heroism, comradeship and sacrifice.”

Remembering those who died or suffered through war whilst hoping for
peace is therefore an intrinsic part of the Park’s existence and we hope our installation will encourage both thoughts of remembrance (red poppies) and peace (white poppies).

One of our workshops is also in Voluntary Arts Week 2015 (15-24 May). This is an annual celebration of cultural creativity across the UK & Republic of Ireland. At our poppy making workshops, there will be
knitting, stitching, pompom making, finger knitting, arm knitting & knitting
with very large needles.We hope to be
doing some felt making* too!

Want to join in but can't make a workshop?If you can't get to any of the workshops but still want to be involved you'll find some Poppies in Park knitting patterns and details of where to send your finished poppies if you click on the link.

Knitted poppies

When will the installation be up?The Poppies in the Park installation goes up in Rowntree Park on Thursday 11 June
(by the tennis courts, near the cafe) and will be on display until
after the Rowntree Park Birthday Party on Sunday 12 July 2015.

And afterwards?

After the installation comes down the poppies will go for fundraising purposes. The red poppies will go to the York Branch of the Royal British Legion, who provide financial, social and emotional care and support to all members
of the British Armed Forces - past and present and their families and the white poppies will go to the York Friargate Quaker Meeting to be sold to raise funds for the Peace Pledge Union who campaign for a warless world.

About Me

I create contemporary jewellery and textiles, making use of constructed fabric, buttons and other stuff too. And when I’m not doing that I’m probably yarnstorming, planning the next yarnstorming project or blogging about what I’ve seen, what I’m doing or what I’ve learnt.